By Sunayana Prabhu
MIDDLETOWN – Route 35 is becoming a grocery shopper’s dream.
The township confirmed that the mysterious “specialty grocer” set to occupy the former Walgreens Pharmacy space in Middletown Plaza is, in fact, Trader Joe’s.
Current tenants of the plaza, located at Harmony Road and Route 35, include Party Fair, At Home and Retro Fitness Gym, among others. Site plans on leasing agency Brixmor’s website, show a roughly 14,000-square-foot retail space for the specialty grocer that has another store in the Two River area in Shrewsbury.
“Residents have been asking for a Trader Joe’s for as long as I can remember, so it’s very rewarding to see it come to fruition,” Mayor Tony Perry told The Two River Times, noting that the township committee has worked “very hard to create a culture in Middletown that fosters economic development and that work is proven by Trader Joe’s desire to be here in town.”
The Trader Joe’s location will join a roster of grocery stores along the Route 35 corridor, a stretch already occupied by a variety of food stores, including Italian grocer Livoti’s, Whole Foods, the new and larger ShopRite, Stop & Shop, and Target. Public demand for options is great.
The township has seen a rapid growth of residential communities along Route 35, like the luxury townhomes Heritage At Middletown across from Target and the Toll Brother’s Middletown Walk, three-story townhomes on East King’s Highway. The growth in housing has created a need for specialty food options, some located within walking distance of the new developments.
“The township committee and I are always excited to welcome new businesses to Middletown, especially to an already existing location that works for our community,” said Perry.
The identity of the new tenant had been kept under wraps for some time and representatives of Brixmor declined to comment on Trader Joe’s opening in the corner spot; they continue to list that commercial property simply as “specialty grocer” on the site plan.
The plaza is surrounded by a population of 61,000- plus with an average household income of $145,000- plus within a 3-mile radius.
Residents have been upbeat about the possibility of a Trader Joe’s within their neighborhood.
Kathleen Kelleher of Middletown welcomes the idea of Trader Joe’s coming to the township. Kelleher said her two daughters both love the store and shopped there while in college in different states.
Suzanne Shur also of Middletown is looking forward to it, “I hardly ever make the trip to the one in Shrewsbury.”
Katie Erbe, Middletown resident, said she is “excited” that the store will bring more “diversity in our choices of where we can buy food.”
Middletown Plaza was popularly known as the “ShopRite Plaza” as the store used to occupy a spot there before moving down the road.
Amy Citrano, director of planning for Middletown Township, said it is “nice to see existing storefronts being occupied” and noted that the plaza is getting “revitalized” with a “facelift” on the front and side of the corner lot with windows and “more facade improvements for the rest of the shopping center and then the new business at the other end” as well.
A grocery store with its own podcast, Trader Joe’s has grown from a small chain of Southern California convenience stores that first opened in 1967 in Pasadena, to a national chain of over 500 neighborhood grocery stores. It has earned its own niche status in New Jersey with 18 stores.
The exact opening date of the store in Middletown Plaza has not been confirmed yet but many have predicted a year-end launch.
The article originally appeared in the August 3 – 9, 2023 print edition of The Two River Times.
